Nut-lock.



' D. S. PATERSON.

NUT LOOK.

APPLICATION I-ILED JULY 23, 1909.

Patented Oct. Q, 1910.

UNITED SIATES PATENT OFFICE.

DUGALD Si PATERSON, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

NUT-LOCK.

and etiicient-nutlock that will fit varying sizes of rails and will lock the nut irrespective of the precise location of the bolt, and to this end my invention consists in the employment of a locking plate having an ear or ears adapted to be bent around the sides of the nut and having an arm longer than the distance between the bolt and the flange extending obliquely and locking the nut by contact; with the flange of the rail or fish plate.

An advantageous manner of employing my invention is illustrated in the accom panying drawing wherein Figure 1 is a side elevation of a rail having my locking plate in place prior to bendingthe ears around the nut. Fig". 2 is a cross-section through the rail showing the ears bent up around the nut. Fig. 3 is a detail view of the locking plate. Fig. 4t is a section on the line '-l4; of Fig. 3. F ig. 5 is a modified form of plate; and Fig. (3 1s a modified form of plate employing only one locking ear. 5

Locking plates for not locks as heretofore en'iployed'. so far as I. am aware, have had an arm extending vertically which was either bent around the fish plate or had a straight edge resting on the rail. flange, and this requires plates of different. sizes for varying locations of the bolt relative to the rail flange or fish plate, as itis obvious that if the distance between the bolt and flange was greater than expected, there would be a corresponding amount of play. I have produced a locking plate which will lock the nut notwithstanding variations in the dis tance from the bolt-hole to the flange.

In the drawings the rail 1 has flange 2, and the fish plates 3 are secured to the rail by bolt 4, having nut 5. Before the nut is applied to the bolt I place a perforated locking plate 6 thereon. This plate is pro- Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 23, 1909. Serial No. 509,146.

Patented Oct. 4, I510.

vided with locking ears 7, which are pretera'bly slightly bent before applicatior to permit the ears to be easily bent up around the sides of the nut by tapping with a. ham.- mer, as illustrated in Fig. 4. The locking plate is also provided with a locking arm 5, which extends obliquely downward therefrom so that the foot 9, which is represented as beveled or slightly rounded, will rest upon the flange oft-he rail in about the position illustrated in Fig. 1. The metal of the locking plate'surrounding the perforation is preferably depressed as at 10, forming a cushion for seating the nut. It will be perceived that this locking armmeed be made but slightly longer than the maximum distance between the bolt and theflange on a rail and that it will then adapt itself to I any and all rails. If the .boltis located nearer the flange, the arm 8 will approach a posite, and in F ig.v 5 I have shown them so disposed. W'ith the hexagonal nuts customarily employed, I believe the ears illustrated in Fig. 1 will serve to hold the nut in any position, as these locking plates may be easily stamped out of sheet metal and its ductile character will permit of the ear being bent up so as to lock it, even if the side of the nut should notbe at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the ear. The depressed portion 10 of the plate acting as a cushion will permit the nut to be further screwed down after it has become seated if desired. whereby it can be brought to the desired position to receive the ear or ears of the plate.

The number of cars employed will dcpeud somewhat upon. the weight of the sheet metal used. If this is light a plurality of bent ears may be necessary, while if it is heavyone bent car may secure the nut effectually.

Inasmuch as the hexagonal nut is almost universally employed for the purpose stated and as this can be securely held by one bent.- ear, I have in Fig. (3 illustrated a form of locking plate employing but oneear and this I believe to be the most practicable form of construction, particularly with the depression in the lockin plate. a

While I have 'ill ustra'ted the locking face 9 as beveled, this is not essential. It is, however, essential that the length of the arm 8 should exceed the distance between the bolt and the flange.

While I have referred to the locking arm as engaging the flange of the rail, I of course intend to include the flange of the fish plate where such fish plates are provided with such flange, and in the specification and claims by the use of such term flange, I intend to include either the'rail flange or the fish plate This nut lock, while particularly designed as a nut lock for railway rails, can also be used in other cases where a nut is located within a reasonable distance of a flange or its equivalent abutment, as for instance, for transportation equipment and general machinlsts use.

What is claimed is: 1. The herein described nut lock consisting of a plate of metal having a substantially circular central portion provided with a centrally disposed bolt receiving opening, the metal surrounding said opening being dished to form an annular projection from one side of the plate, said projection having a crosssection arcuate in shape with its inner end havin an edge projecting beyond the re- 'main er of the nut lock in the direction of said side whereby said edge contacts primarily with the-surface to which the plate is applied, a locking arm extending from the edge of the circular portion and adapted to contact witha fixed object-when the nut lock is in position whereb the rotation of the late lsprevented, an lockin ears extendmg outward from the centra portion and bent in adirection opposite to the dish of said central portion.

2. The herein described nut lock consistin of a plate of metal having a portion pro-' vi ed with a bolt receiving opening, the, metal surrounding said opening being dished to form an annular projection from one side of the plate, said projection having a crosssection t'cuate in shape with its inner end havin an edge projecting beyond the remainfer of nut lock in the direction of said side whereby. said edge contacts primarily witnesses. Y DUGALD S. PATERSON Witnesses:

' l ADOLPH F.-Dmsn,

HENRIE'rra E. WORKMAN. 

